King of the Murgos: The Malloreon, Book 2

The infant son of Garion and Ce'Nedra had been foully kidnapped. And thus, they begin the great quest to rescue the child, with the immortal Belgarath the Sorcerer, his daughter Polgara the Sorceress, and,inevitably, the little Drasnian, Silk. Guided by the Orb of the god Aldur, their way leads through the foul swamps of Nyissa, then into the lands of the Murgos, where they must face a horrible danger to not only themselves, but to all of mankind.

Demon Lord of Karanda: The Malloreon, Book 3

Zandranias stole King Garion's infant son, planning to use the child in a ritual that would make the Dark Destiny supreme. Garion and his friends followed, but now they were captives of Zakath, Emperor of Mallorea.

Sorceress of Darshiva: The Malloreon, Book 4

Troubles and delays continue to mount as King Garion, Belgarath, Polgara, and the company pursue Zandramas across the known world. Possessed by the Dark Destiny, Zandramas has kidnapped Garion's infant son and plans to use him in a ritual that would destroy all that men value. Always one step ahead, taunting and spying on Garion and his party in the form of a great flying dragon, Zandramas races to beat them to the "Place Which Is No More".

The Seeress of Kell: The Malloreon, Book 5

Time was running out for Garion and his companions in their quest to recover Garion's infant son and heir. If they could not locate the Place Which Is No More, then Zandramas, the Child of Dark, would use Garion's son in a rite that would raise the Dark Prophecy to eternal domination over the universe. Only the Seeress of Kell could reveal the site of that mysterious place, and she could only do that once Garion and Polgara had fulfilled an ancient prophecy in the mountain fastness of the Seers.

Enchanters' End Game: The Belgariad, Book 5

The quest was over. The Orb of Aldur was restored. And once again, with the crowning of Garion, there was a descendant of Riva Iron-grip to rule as Overlord of the West. And yet the prophecy was unfulfilled. In the east, the evil god Torak was about to awaken and seek dominion. Somehow, Garion had to face the god, to kill or be killed. On the outcome of that dread duel rested the destiny of the world.

Castle of Wizardry: The Belgariad, Book 4

It all began with the theft of the Orb that protected the West from the evil God Torak. Before that, Garion had been a simple farm boy. Afterward, he discovered he's a sorcerer. Now, at last, the Orb has been regained and the quest nears its end. Of course, the questors must still escape from a crumbling enemy fortress, flee across a desert filled with Murgo soldiers, and avoid the Grolim Hierarchs seeking to destroy them with dark magic.

Magician's Gambit: The Belgariad, Book 3

Ce'Nedra, Imperial Princess of Tolnedra, is confused. Everyone knows the tales of the Orb protecting the West from the evil god Torak are just silly legends. But here she is, forced to join a quest to recover that stolen Orb. No one believes in sorcery, but Garion's aunt and grandfather seem to be the fabled sorcerers Polgara and Belgarath. Even young Garion is learning to do sorcery. He's just a farm boy, totally unsuitable for an Imperial Princess. Yet for some reason, she has the urge to comfort him.

Queen of Sorcery: The Belgariad, Book 2

Legends tell of the evil god Torak coveting the power of the Orb of Aldur. Prophecy also speaks of a time when he will again awaken to seek dominance over all the world. Now the Orb has been stolen by a priest of Torak, and that time is at hand. Belgarath the Sorcerer and his daughter, Polgara the arch-Sorceress, are on the trail of the Orb, seeking to regain it before the final disaster. With them goes Garion, a simple farm boy only months before, but now the focus of the struggle.

Pawn of Prophecy: The Belgariad, Book 1

Long ago, so the Storyteller claimed, the evil god Torak sought dominion and drove men and Gods to war. But Belgrath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe. That was only a story, and Garion did not believe in magic dooms, even though the man without a shadow had haunted him for years.

Belgarath the Sorcerer

When the world was young and Gods still walked among their mortal children, a headstrong orphan boy set out to explore the world. Thus began the extraordinary adventures that would mold that youthful vagabond into a man, and the man into the finely honed instrument of Prophecy known to all the world as Belgarath the Sorcerer.

Polgara the Sorceress

Best-selling authors David and Leigh Eddings welcome readers back to the time before The Belgariad and The Malloreon series. Join them as they chronicle that fateful conflict between two mortally opposed Destinies, in a monumental war of men and kings and Gods.

The Diamond Throne: The Elenium, Book 1

Sparhawk, the Pandion Knight and Queen's Champion, returns from a long spell of exile to find his native land overrun with evil and intrigue, and his young Queen grievously ill. Indeed, Ehlana lies magically entombed within a block of crystal, doomed to die unless a cure can be found within a year.

The Ruby Knight: The Elenium, Book 2

Ehlana, Queen of Elenia, had been poisoned. A deep enchantment sustained her life, but only while the Knights aiding it still lived - and, already, they were dying, one each month. Then Sparhawk, the knight and Queen's Champion, learned that the cure for the poison was Bhelliom, the great jewel lost when Sarak of Thalesia died in battle 500 years before.

The Sapphire Rose: The Elenium, Book 3

Finally, the knight Sparhawk had come to possess Bhelliom, legendary jewel of magic that alone could save Queen Ehlana from the deadly poison that had felled her father. Sparhawk and Sephrenia, ageless instructor in Styric magics, made haste to free Ehlana from the crystalline cocoon that had preserved her life while they desperately sought a cure.

The Shining Ones: The Tamuli, Book 2

Years ago, the Child-Goddess Aphrael had hidden Bhelliom, the Stone of Power, at the bottom of the sea. Yet now it is needed again to stop a malign force from spreading evil and destruction across the lands. Sparhawk, Queen's champion, sets out to retrieve the Stone. But others seek the gem for their own diabolical ends. Most fearsome of these are the Shining Ones, whose mere touch melts human flesh from bone.

The Hidden City: The Tamuli, Book 3

The Pandion Knight Sparhawk had bested the massed forces of the God Cyrgon upon the field of battle, victory turned to ashes when the foul God's minions kidnapped Sparhawk's wife, the beautiful Queen Ehlana. Sparhawk must surrender Bhelliom, the awesome jewel of power - or Ehlana would die.But Sparhawk fought on, and none of his companions flinched from the awesome struggle, though each must vanquish forces of evil from Tamuli's dark past.

Domes of Fire: The Tamuli, Book 1

Six years had passed since the redoubtable knight Sparhawk had triumphed over the evil God Azash and returned to Elenia with Queen Ehlana, his bride. And now a new danger had arisen to threaten the peace of Ehlana's realm. The trouble had started quietly. At home, bandits began to plague the hill country. In neighboring Lamorkand, the customary political unrest turned ominous with whispers that the bloody heroes of old soon would rise again.

The Redemption of Althalus

It would be sheer folly to try to conceal the true nature of Althalus, for his flaws are the stuff of legend. He is, as all men know, a thief, a liar, an occasional murderer, an outrageous braggart, and a man devoid of even the slightest hint of honor. Yet of all the men in the world, it is Althalus, unrepentant rogue and scoundrel, who will become the champion of humanity in its desperate struggle against the forces of an ancient god determined to return the universe to nothingness.

Lady-Protector: Corean Chronicles, Book 8

A bloody coup has made Mykella, the Lord-Protector's daughter, ruler of her land, but it has also left her and her two sisters bereft of family and uncertain of their friends. Worse, their country is almost destitute, and there are rumblings of war along the borders.

The Shadow Sorceress: Spellsong Cycle, Book 4

Secca, a young sorceress, is thrust into a position of power and responsibility when the legendary Sorceress-Protector of Defalk dies unexpectedly before Secca's training as a master magic wielder is anywhere near complete.

The Lord-Protector's Daughter: Corean Chronicles, Book 7

Mykella, the eldest daughter of the Lord-Protector of Lanachrona, discovers that someone is diverting significant sums of money from her father's treasury. Soon, a series of fatal and near fatal accidents occur with members of her family and trusted retainers. Then there are attempts to remove Mykella and her sisters from the capital by marrying them off.

Regina's Song

Eerily attuned to one another, twins Regina and Renata are so identical that even their mother can’t tell them apart. Then tragedy strikes: A vicious attack leaves one twin dead and the other so traumatized that she turns totally inward, incapable of telling anyone what happened or even who she is. She remains lost to the world, until the day Mark, a family friend, comes to visit - and the young woman utters her first intelligible word. As she recovers, still with no memory of the past, her nightmares grow steadily more frightful, followed by wild fits of hysteria and dark mood swings....

Shadowsinger: Spellsong Cycle, Book 5

Secca, foster daughter of the Soprano Sorceress and now her successor as sorceress-protector of Defalk, must deal carefully with her willful master and wield her power to save his kingdom from the armies, fleets, and master sorcerers of the maitre of Sturinn.

The Sword of Shannara: The Shannara Series, Book 1

Long ago, the wars of the ancient Evil ruined the world. In peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knows little of such troubles. But the supposedly dead Warlock Lord is plotting to destroy everything in his wake. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness is the Sword of Shannara, which can be used only by a true heir of Shannara. On Shea, last of the bloodline, rests the hope of all the races.

Picked this one up on sale - big fan of all things fantasy from Tolkien to Patrick Rothfuss and I'm not sure how David Eddings slipped under my radar for so long. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel beginning to end. Also the first Cameron Beierle narrated audiobook I've listened too - impressive narration.

Would you consider the audio edition of Guardians of the West to be better than the print version?

It's been a long time since I've read the Guardians of the West but I think I'd say yes to this. It's an easy read and it makes for an easy listen as well. Having the various characters' dialogue come alive is quite nice. The dialogue is probably the best part of Eddings' writing so it really works well as an audio experience.

What other book might you compare Guardians of the West to and why?

Well let's be honest - The thing about David Eddings is that one book is pretty much like another. If you've read or listened to the Belgariad well then, here's more of the same. If you've read or listened to his Sparhawk books then here's more of the same - only more young adult than adult (not that that's a bad thing) and more side stuff going on (because the series is 5 books instead of 3).

What about Cameron Beierle’s performance did you like?

There comes a point in a book like this where you realize - wow there are a huge number of characters in this book and the reader is doing all of them by himself. He also does a good job of defining accents for each of the various peoples of the world. It's not perfect - in particular the voices of Belgarion and Errand often sound the same to the point of confusion - but it's not a huge problem.

Any additional comments?

Eddings' fantasy series are, above all else, fun. This is his second seriers with these characters and could more rightly be considered book 6 of 10 instead of 1 of 5, though you could start here if you wanted to. On problem for some could be that at this point in the story some old characters you may love have to fade into the background and some new ones step forward to take their place. I personally miss some of the old characters who are relegated to bit parts, but the new characters Eddings gives us do tend to be far more interesting than what we had in the Belgariad and add a lot in diversity to the cast.

Good book. I felt the narration was good. The first half of the book was a bit slow but got pretty good as it ended. I understand this was the setup book. If you can make it past the first half you will enjoy the rest of this book and most certainly the series. I like how he puts accents on the different characters depending what country they were from. I would recommend this but give it a chance.

The story and the reading were both excellent. My only complaint is that the recording seemed to put a lot of emphasis on the higher pitched sounds (particularly when the reader read the letter 's'). The contrast was so great that I had to turn the volume up and the treble all the way down in my car not to have my ears hurt a bit by the end of my commute.

The story started slowly but I fell in love with all of the people who inhabit the pages. With each new book you learn more about everyone. By the end of the series you know everyone and they are like old friends. The print version lives happily on my bookshelf.

This was a slow starter, but the rest of the series makes it worth it, even though it is a long series, and probably could have been shortened by a book, it is a great series. The reader is a good story teller and brings the characters to life. In short, even though some sections get a bit tiresome, the whole is worth it.

An absolutely gripping first book of this new series. loved every minute. can't wait to start th next one

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Chiaracuddle

4/5/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Awful recording."

Somebody sack Cameron Beierle! The man has no clue about intonation, pacing or punctuation. This dreadful recording spoiled the book.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Jonathan

Solihull, United Kingdom

4/13/13

Overall

"Brilliant continuation of the saga...."

The story continues from where we left off after the Belgariad, building on the picture of the main characters lives and sowing the seed for this next epic adventure. Enthralling story, engagingly read by Cameron Beierle, throughly enjoyable listening.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

lance

11/7/08

Overall

"still on song"

Still very very good
a brill story with good narration

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Ayesha

London, United Kingdom

1/27/09

Overall

"Guardians Of The West by David Eddings"

Garion is sure that the prophecy concerning him has been fulfilled, so when he is called upon to settle conflicts and fights, he feels agrieved, but takes his duties as king of Riva and overlord of the west, seriously. But troubles beset him as his young son is kidnapped as there is another powerful dark enemy on the loose ... David Eddings draws us once more into the world of his epic fantasy, creating thrilling scenarios and suspense-filled reads. Join Garion and his friends in their new quest to rescue the prince Garan and to combat yet more evil.

2 of 5 people found this review helpful

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